4.5 stars rounded up to 5

A fun read, that gave me all the feels! This story had me chuckling out loud, but also had deeper moments of reflection. I went into this story expecting a lighthearted summer read, however it does touch on more thought-provoking topics.

Kelsey Worthington wakes up in a hospital room, after getting hit by a car that jumped the curb while getting coffee for her boss. She finds herself sharing a hospital room with Georgina Tate, a famous NYC businesswoman who is not pleased to be sharing a hospital room. After her close call with death, Kelsey begins to think about the current direction of her life. Georgina begins to realize she too has regrets as she deals with her failing kidneys. After wearing her down, Kelsey convinces Georgina to join her on a road trip in a “Summer of yes” to change the trajectory of their lives.

I’ve read a few stories by Courtney Walsh, and like the others, I thoroughly enjoyed The Summer of Yes.


Thank you to Thomas Nelson Fiction for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was a fun one! I loved the idea of saying yes to things you normally wouldn’t because you thought it was holding you back. It’s such a great way to get out of your comfort zone but also start living if you think you’ve been stuck!

Kelsey was pretty self deprecating and a bit whiny so I wasn’t a fan of that even though I loved her idea. On the other hand, I loved Georgina! So spunky!!! Reminded me of Miranda Preasly! Proud business woman with some family regrets.

The zoo part was of course one of my favorite parts! the penguins 🥰

This wasn’t my favorite by Courtney but I would still totally recommend for a good summer read!

Thank you to Netgalley for the gifted ebook in exchange for my honest review!!

I loved the concept of this story; a young woman wakes up in the hospital after being hit by a car and meets an older woman who's her "ghost of the future" in a way, showing her what her life could end up like if she continues on the path she's on.

These two women embark on a journey of saying "yes" to things they'd previously said "no" to: carbs, walking around the city, taking vacation days...and ultimately it leads to bigger things, like reconciling with estranged family members. I loved the whole stepping out of your comfort zone aspect, as it's something I've been working towards for myself as well this year, and the unlikely friendship these two women form was lovely.

Georgina reminded me a bit of Meryl Streep's character in The Devil Wears Prada, but with a softer, gooey middle; she's accomplished incredible things for her business but her personal life is a bit of a mess.

There are two love stories as well in the novel, but they're almost second fiddle to the women's journeys, and while I enjoyed them, what I loved best was the growth these women experienced.

All in all, a lovely story, one that would make for great pool-side reading this summer. Thank you to Netgalley and Thomas Nelson Fiction for a copy in exchange for a review. All opinions are my own.

An absolute delight! The perfect summer audio to listen to on a road trip with my teenage daughter. I LOVE Walsh's clean storylines that provide humor, romance, struggle, and redemption. We need more clean, hope-filled fiction like this in our world. Great job, Courtney! Highly recommend!

I am fairly new to this author, but I've learned that I can count on Courtney Walsh for squeaky clean romance books. This is not my favorite genre, but I love to use her books as a palate cleanser between heavier books.

The grumpy sunshine trope was cute and there was plenty of witty banter. If you like rom-coms that also explore deeper topics like forgiveness and intentional living, give this book a try!

A highly anticipated new novel from Courtney Walsh! It’s a Clean Fiction book that falls into the category of Women Fiction with a thick thread of romance weaved throughout.
Courtney Walsh has a way of writing characters that feel very authentic and relatable; characters that are layered, showcasing strengths but also depicting their weaknesses and struggles. This book definitely has those! Kelsey and Georgina take the lead roles, and though opposites to each other in some ways, they come to find they’re actually very similar in their fears, regrets, and desires to be truly loved. Kelsey is impulsive, forthcoming, and endearing; Georgina is perceptive, honest, and reminds me a bit of Miranda Pressely. The book even got me thinking about deeper concepts like how crippling it is when you let fear and anxiety reign, and how freeing and healing it is when you experience undeserved forgiveness and grace.

At the beginning, events felt a bit rushed and I struggled to connect with the characters because I felt I didn’t know them. But by the halfway mark, it really ramped up and I found myself not wanting to put it down!
It’s published under a Christian publishing house, so I expected a bit more open faith in the characters. I also was disappointed to read of multiple mentions of “fate” working instead of the sovereignty of God.

Courtney Walsh can be depended upon to write clean fiction with sweet romance, authentic characters that display growth, and the right amount of humor and wit to keep it fun! I recommend this book and her others to anyone looking to “read for joy” and wrap themselves in a good story.

😇: Christian publisher (Thomas Nelson); Gospel themes like grace & forgiveness, but no clear statements on the Biblical faith that these stem from.
💋: a very sweet kisses, not steamy or descriptive
🤐: no language!

Thank you to Thomas Nelson for the complimentary ebook in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

This is my second CW book, my first being The Happy Life of Isadora Bentley, which I ADORED. So I was eager to try another book by the author.

The Summer of Yes is a good book that’s hard (for me) to review. The story is a little…not necessarily heavy, but thought provoking. With the main character seriously questioning everything about her life after an accident, and the other having serious regrets about her life as she nears the end of it, it’s not the story to pick up if you’re looking for light and fluffy. However, I enjoyed having something DIFFERENT for a plot, and seeing the acquaintance between the younger Kelsey and older Georgina turn into a tentative friendship was enjoyable. It’s about way more than just the romance that develops later in the story.

However I still found myself enjoying the story more after the romance started. 😂 And while I very much dislike the insta-love trope, I applaud the author for making insta-attraction work really well in story. It wasn’t “I love this person even though a barely know them” but more of, “I think I COULD love this person because of the good qualities I’m seeing.” It felt more authentic.

There was once scene where I got a little choked up (not overly sad, just moving) which I take as a sign of good writing from any author. 👍🏻

And while not a LOL funny book, the author does incorporate subtle humor into the story. One of my highlights that made me chuckle: ‘“Have you made any progress with the spicy food?” “I sometimes put pepper on my noodles.” He just looks at me. “We’ll keep working on that.”’ 🤭

Story was clean, no sex or profanity. Even with the “Christian fiction” label, it wasn’t really religious, though Kelsey wonders a few times if the events she’s going through are happening for a reason/fate. I got a little tired of that personally, but others may not mind it.

Bottom line: If you’re in the right headspace for this kind of plot, it’s a well written book with thoughtful themes, clean romance, and an entertaining/endearing age gap friendship. If you’re looking for something light and fluffy or a romance focused story, it may not be for you.

4 stars for quality, 3.5 stars for personal enjoyment.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

One last thing—from the start we know that Georgina is seriously ill and basically waiting to die. For anyone who wants to know if this is a sad or happy ending book, I’ll tell you. Not sure if it’s considered a SPOILER, but if you don’t want to know, consider yourself warned.——————————-It does have a good ending. :)

This book is about second chances after an improbable meet between a wannabe writer and a she-billionaire. I have trouble getting engaged in a novel when a plot feels forced to me and unfortunately this is what the story felt like from the very start. I know this will thrill Walsh fans but I just couldn't get into this conveniently everything falls into place novel.

You know how this book ends, sure. The journey to that end is entirely worth reading.

I'm a big fan of saying "No!" It makes life easier than getting out of my comfort zone. After reading this book, I wonder about everything I've missed.

The author did a great job telling a predictable story. It could've been boring, and worthless, but it was neither of those things.

It was special, thought-provoking, and funny. I'd recommend this book!

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you @courtneywalsh & @tnzfiction for my early copy of THE SUMMER OF YES, publishing July 1st.

Courtney Walsh is one of those authors I found through Bookstagram and she’s just turned into the loveliest of friends! She writes clean romance that is like a warm hug that leaves you with the biggest smile on your face! Every single time!

THE SUMMER OF YES steps slightly away from her typical writing style and includes a main character dynamic that is youthful and seasoned. Kelsey meets Georgina after she's in an unfortunate car accident and Georgina returns to the hospital for unrelated needs.

These two female main characters couldn’t be more different, yet couldn’t be more perfect for each other! Georgina is a strong, successful woman who has clearly made many sacrifices for her career. She gives Kelsey the nudge she needs in the right direction. Kelsey living her say yes to more things summer after a scary accident and she ALSO gives Georgina the nudge she needs to say yes to more things in her life that aren’t work-related.

I thought this was a deeply moving novel, still following Courtney’s beautiful character development and writing style she’s known for giving us readers!

It does involve kidney failure and a car accident, in case this is a point of concern for you.

I enjoyed the concept of this book, but I feel as if it was rushed and bot fully fleshed out. Kelsey, the protagonist didn’t undergo any major character development and instead focused all her energy on helping Georgina develop her character. It felt like Kelsey’s character was almost unnecessary. Overall, I did not hate the book, I just feel like I was sold on a different story than what I actually read.

Courtney Walsh is a master of sweet, but not overly-sappy romances...with substance. Her characters and plot lines have depth, and The Summer of Yes was no exception. Editor Kelsey Worthington meets Georgina in an unexpected hospital stay. Young and energetic, Kelsey has a lot to learn from the well-known successful, older businesswoman. But Georgina is taught many lessons along the way as well, and second chances are gracefully offered.
This was not my first Walsh novel and definitely will not be my last.
I also was able to listen to the audiobook version with two narrators who successfully portrayed their characters in a way that enhanced the story, with a particular nod to Cathi Colas.
Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson for this ARC. All opinions are mine.

Thank you to NetGalley for sending me an advanced copy for review!

Overall, this book's message is great! It makes you think about how you're living your life and what you might face if you are forced to think about it ending sooner than expected. This is marked as a Christian read, but I didn't feel as though it was too preachy, which I appreciate as I didn't know it was a Christian read. Both MCs did get very frustrating because they were both delusional and stubborn, but they figured it out in the end.

I love the clean romances that Courtney Walsh writes. I also like a multi-generational road trip! Make it a grumpy old person and I will totally buy in! I had the e book and audio version and I have to say that I preferred reading about Kelsey (Chelsea, Katie, Kimberly, whatever - haha!)
Kelsey feels like she is supposed to spend her summer with Georgina. A summer of doing things she wouldn't normally do. A Summer of Yes!
I have decided that I will let my summer be a summer of yes, too. Well, maybe not all yes but more yes than no! 3.5 Stars

I thought the book started out slow with no real background or history. It picked up about 2/3 the way through and ended up being a cute story.

I thoroughly enjoyed this novel about a workaholic book editor assistant (Kelsey), who finds herself waking up in the hospital after getting hit by a car. She is placed in a room with a famous, very successful entrepreneur (Georgina), who gave up on family and friends in order to be successful and now is faced with the reality that she will die very soon without a kidney transplant. Kelsey realizes very well that she is following the same path as Georgina, and that she regularly says no to anything outside of work including her dreams. Kelsey convinces Georgina to a summer of saying yes to all the things that she has missed out on and to try to reconnect with her son. I do not wish to spoil the novel further, but it is a very cute summer read.

I received this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion. I highly recommend this as a lighthearted fun read.

4.5⭐️

This book is The Devil Wears Prada but if Meryl Streep and Anne Hathaway went on a road trip to a sleepy coastal town. And if Meryl Streep had a cute son.

There’s a lot to love about this book. While none of the themes or messages are new, Courtney Walsh finds a way to make them poignant and relatable. This is a book about finding the richness of life in the small things and in the people you surround yourself with. It’s about saying yes to things even if you’re scared or you feel like it isn’t worth your time. These are messages most of us need to hear and see how they are reflected in our own lives. This story is extremely heartwarming and well worth the read. Say YES to adding this one to your TBR 😉

What if I said yes to everything I’ve always said no to? Since reading The Summer of Yes by Courtney Walsh, I have been trying to do this more and I bet you will too after finishing it!

When Kelsey is hit by a car and hospitalized, she wakes up to find her hospital roommate is none other than famed business woman, Georgina Tate. Georgina begrudgingly divulges that her kidneys are failing. They both realize they have regrets and Kelsey doesn’t let Georgina say no to doing something about them!

When writing one of Georgina’s wrongs looks like it may help Kelsey, they are both determined say YES! So hop in a classic convertible and hit the road!

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson for a chance to read an advance copy.

PERFECT BOOK FOR THE SUMMER ☀️🥳

This latest novel from Courtney Walsh is filled with laughter, all the good feels and a heartwarming message about conquering fear. ❤️

Ever watched “The Devil Wears Prada” and hoped that Miranda would have softened more by the end? Or cheered for the underdog trying to succeed? Or teared up at a story of family restoration? Then this book is for you.

Not gonna lie, I was a little annoyed by the main characters at times, but once you get to see the reasons for their behaviour, it makes more sense.

Also, the Christian messaging is not as strong as my usual Christian fiction but the romance is sweet, the escapades are funny and the female main characters grow in such exponential ways that you can’t help but cheer them on.

#cleanromance #booksforsummer #christianbookstagram #heartfeltreads

✨The Summer of Yes✨

"I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."

Kelsey Worthington and editor at a publishing company finds herself in the hospital after getting hit by a car. When she wakes up she has a new roommate who is the one and only Georgina Tate the biggest makeup & skincare guru. Kelsey begins talking to Miss Tate only to realize that she hasn’t done anything in her 32 years of life. She has said no to everything & hasn’t actually lived her life. Kelsey begins to come up with a plan for the Summer of Yes where she (and a reluctant Georgina) say yes to things that they normally would say no to. When Kelsey begins to learn more about Georgina & the family she gave up for her business, she sets out to reunite the family & say yes to more along the way.

My thoughts: I really enjoyed this book. It is like a breath of fresh air. The characters make me laugh and I loved the concept for a summer of yes. This book has me re-evaluating saying yes to more things in my life. The found family aspect and the way that Cortney Walsh adds in romance and love in all relationships is beautiful.

✨Get this book on July 2nd!✨